Study Partners
by MaryRoyale
Summary: Submission for QLFC Finals Round 2 Mystery Character Challenge. As the N.E.W.T.s approach Hermione makes a tentative friendship with someone she never would have considered. As she grows to appreciate her new study partner Hermione realizes that people are often not who we assume they are.


**The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition- FINALS Round 2**

**Team:** Falmouth Falcons

**Author: **MaryRoyale

**Position:** Beater #2

**Prompts Used:** Why not, draining

**Title:** Study Partners  
><strong>Official Disclaimer<strong>: The original characters of this story are the property of the J.K. Rowling. No infringement of pre-existing copyright is intended. It is my contention that this work of fan fiction is fair use under copyright law. No monies were received for receipt of this work.

**Pairing:** None

**Rating:** T  
><strong>Word Count: <strong>approx. 1700

**A/N:** I should explain this or you will all be very confused. The challenge for the Beaters this round was that we must write about a character chosen by our fellow Beater, **but** we must not reveal the character's name. The point is for you to know clearly who I am writing about despite the fact that the character's name is not used at all.

The easiest way to do this would be to use first person POV, but I wanted to try writing third person POV because I thought it might be more of a challenge. (Remind me to have my head checked.) In case you were wondering… it is *really* hard to write third person POV without using the character's name. I thought about switching to first person, but it always felt wrong… like I was taking the easy way out.

Anyway—the reason that no character is chosen is because I'm not allowed to list the character. It would give away the game so to speak.

/\/\/\

_Tap tap tap._

Rubbing her temple absently she looked up from her revising to glare at her dorm mate. "Must you?" She snapped irritably.

Pansy offered a weak smile. "Sorry?"

"Oh just ignore her, Pans," Daphne called from her bed. "She always gets cranky when she's revising."

"Just because I want to do well," she huffed to herself.

Pansy snorted. "I'm just going to marry well," she announced.

Daphne laughed. "Of course you are darling," she countered. "Our families wouldn't accept anything else."

The sudden awkward silence reminded everyone that _she_ hadn't received any marriage offers yet. She stood quickly and grabbed all of her parchment and quills. Balancing her books awkwardly she practically fled their dorm.

"You had to mention it, didn't you," Tracy Davis demanded as soon as the door shut.

"Sorry," Pansy and Daphne muttered and exchanged guilty looks.

/\/\/\

The library at Hogwarts was always a refuge for certain people, and she had never been more grateful for its comforting silence. Everyone knew that Hermione Granger spent most of her free time in the library, but she wasn't the only one. One Seventh-Year Slytherin had made it her particular refuge as well. _She_ had scouted out the most remote, the most hidden table in the entire library and she had claimed it for her very own. Therefore, one can only imagine her surprise and utter disgust when Granger plopped down at the next table. _Fabulous_. She would give Potter and Weasley a day at most before they found Granger and began to pester her. Yes, Granger liked to spend all of her free time in Hogwarts' library, but the library was _never_ quiet when Granger was in residence.

A Slytherin prepared for contingencies. The girl took up her wand and fought to keep herself from rolling her eyes when Granger tensed and her wand hand twitched. _I'm a great many things, but stupid isn't one of them_. With graceful wand movements she erected several charms that were particular to Slytherin. There was a slightly altered Notice-Me-Not charm that would cause people to have a particular aversion to this table. There was a Silencing charm that would allow her to study in peace even if Potter and Weasley showed up. Finally, there was an Alert charm that would let her know when her next class was about to start. N.E.W.T.s testing was coming up and she wasn't taking any chances with her future. She bent her head to her books and began to study earnestly. She didn't notice Hermione Granger watching her with a thoughtful expression.

/\/\/\

"Um, you wouldn't happen to have volume 278 of the Journal of Arithmancy do you?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

A slender hand held out the requested journal, which was the only acknowledgement of Hermione. The Slytherin continued to study silently as her quill scratched softly across her parchment.

"Thank you," Hermione murmured.

"No problem," she replied at last. As Hermione made her way back to her table sapphire blue eyes tracked her speculatively. _Maybe Granger isn't so bad_. She snorted to herself and focused her attention back to her work.

/\/\/\

Just a couple of free hours to study, but it was better than nothing. Hermione gathered up her things and headed to the library. She wondered absently if _she_ would be sitting at the other table.

"Who'd want to marry a bossy swot like you anyway?" Goyle's voice drifted through the stacks. "And Merlin forbid that any children ever inherit that jaw of yours."

Hermione heard a sharp intake of breath and then Malfoy's smooth drawl cut across the silence.

"Why not? I'd much rather marry a bossy swot than the hag your father dug up for you," Malfoy said icily. There was a pause and then Malfoy continued. "Count yourself lucky that I was the one to overhear you Goyle. If it had been Parkinson or Greengrass they might never find all the pieces."

Heavy footsteps retreated and then there was a soft, hitching sob. Hermione heard Malfoy sigh and peeked around the stacks. She almost fell over in shock when she saw the gentle expression on his face and watched him pat her fellow bossy swot and sometimes sort-of study partner on the shoulder.

"Are you all right?" He asked quietly.

The dark head nodded and Malfoy sighed.

"Look, I've got to get to class. Do you want me to send Pansy or Daphne?" He asked his fellow Slytherin.

A muffled sniffle and then she replied in a husky voice. "Don't worry about me, Malfoy. I expect Granger will be along soon enough and that will keep Goyle and his ilk away."

Hermione took that as her cue and she rustled her papers and began to mutter under her breath about N.E.W.T.s as she made her way down the book aisle. She glimpsed a flash of pale blond as Malfoy turned and ducked down another aisle. She set her books down with a satisfying thunk and began to organize her revising for the day. Whenever Hermione thought it was prudent she snuck glances at the Slytherin seated at the other table.

It was impossible after seven years to not know a fellow year-mate even if she were a Slytherin. This particular year-mate Hermione knew rather better than she might have liked if one considered the humiliating experiences of her second year and the failed Polyjuice Potion. A dull flush stained her cheeks when she recalled accidentally insulting the girl during an ill-fated Defence Against the Dark Arts class and the way Harry had had to rescue her from a rather tight headlock.

With stolen glances Hermione observed the other girl studying. She had changed in so many ways from the naïve twelve year-old girl that she had been; it only stood to reason that the Slytherin seated opposite her had changed just as much as Hermione had done.

/\/\/\

Blessed silence reigned in their chosen corner broken only by the rustling of parchment and the soft scratch of the quill as each girl took careful notes. The N.E.W.T.s were less than a month away and both girls had long ago entered into a careful, respectful study pact. Hermione liked having someone else to speak to about some of the trickier spells; there had been several instances when they had devolved into heated debates over technique that had achingly reminded Hermione of Remus Lupin.

"Hermione, there you are!" Ron announced cheerfully.

"Ron!" Hermione tried to hiss-whisper at her best friend. "_Some people_ are trying to study."

"We've been looking for you everywhere," Harry said with a sigh and pulled out the chair next to her.

"Harry!" Hermione winced as the chair legs scraped obscenely loudly against the stone floor.

"Sorry," Harry replied unapologetically and plopped down.

"What do you want?" Hermione demanded with a scowl.

"We're bored," Ron admitted.

"And your point would be?" Hermione glared at both of them.

"Ah Weaselby I thought I smelled you," Malfoy drawled and wandered out from the stacks. He raked Ron up and down and sneered at him. "As a Prefect you do _know_ that you have access to the Prefect's Bathroom, don't you?"

Zabini snorted in amusement.

"Honestly, Reggie, I don't know why you bother to study here. You'd be better off in the dorms," Parkinson added with sneer directed at Hermione's table.

"Reggie?" Ron repeated.

"Short for _regina_," Malfoy explained with a slightly bored air.

Hermione blinked in surprise and snuck a glance at Zabini. He looked a little embarrassed. _Well._ Hermione supposed that she could see his point. Despite her rather awkward second year _Reggie_ had a very regal air about her; she carried herself with dignity and grace. There was a certain arrogant tilt to her chin that Hermione suspected was a requirement in Slytherin.

"What _her_?" Ron scoffed and pointed at the other table. "_She's_ a queen?"

The Slytherin girl blushed furiously and stared at the table top.

"_Ron!_" Hermione glared at her best friend.

"Listen here, Weaselby," Malfoy began hotly.

It quickly degenerated from there with insults and a few minor jinxes being cast from each group.

"STOP!" Zabini's _regina_ commanded in ringing tones. She stood and glared at both groups of people. "It may have escaped your notice, but our N.E.W.T.s are less than a month away. _Some people_ are trying to study." She glanced over at Hermione and sighed. "Granger, do you know somewhere we can study _without_ being interrupted?"

Hermione smirked. "I do actually."

"Excellent. Please lead the way."

The two groups of friends stared at both girls with slack jaws as they began packing their things.

"But… but… Hermione!" Harry protested.

"Not now Harry," Hermione countered grimly.

"Reggie… " Parkinson sounded shocked.

Hermione watched as the other girl held up one hand imperiously.

"In a month I will go along with whatever you want to do Pans," she said firmly. "You remember my O.W.L. year. Don't make this year a repeat of that one."

Pansy paled dramatically and nodded. "Of course not," she said quickly.

Both girls left the library leaving behind their friends. Ron and Harry eyed the other group speculatively.

"What did she do during her O.W.L. year?" Ron asked at last.

Daphne giggled and shook her head. "You wouldn't believe us if we told you."

Harry snorted. "During our O.W.L. year Hermione made a seventh year Ravenclaw cry. Just being around her was draining."

The Slytherins appeared to be mildly impressed.

"Reggie made Snape cry," Pansy said loftily.

"She did not!" Ron protested.

"It's true!" Daphne countered.

"What happened?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well…" Pansy paused and looked about the library. "Let's go down to the kitchens and I'll tell you. Hinky saw everything—he can back me up."

"That sounds like a plan," Ron agreed. "I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," Harry muttered at him.

"What? I'm a growing boy," Ron protested.

"Whatever," Harry said with a smile and dragged Ron after the group of Slytherins as they headed to the kitchen.


End file.
